


A Proposal of Choking and Midgets

by Lawful_Neutral_5000



Category: Hooky (Webcomic)
Genre: Aisha is a midget, Angst, Chapter 217 Spoilers, Choking, Dave Strider Swearing, Depression, Drinking, F/M, Fixing Relationships, Forgiveness, Happy Ending, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Karkat Swearing, M/M, Nico chokes on a muffin, References to Depression, Swearing, Toxic Relationships, Unresolved Sexual Tension, accidental proposing, and, because I AM CHRISTIAN, dani is the big spoon, i find that so funny, implied PTSD, implied panic attack, not as a kink, obnoxiously sfw, sfw, terrible hickey attempts, the cat - Freeform, when i typed in swearing two things that came up were
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-01-30 21:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21435208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lawful_Neutral_5000/pseuds/Lawful_Neutral_5000
Summary: Dani proposes to Nico a day after realizing she’s in love with him . It ends with Dorian consoling a crying drunk Dani while Mark gives Nico the Heimlich maneuver three feet away from her. Meanwhile, Damien explains to Aisha in explicit detail why she biologically qualifies as a midget. Not that anyone expected it to go any better.
Relationships: Mark/Aisha, Monica/Dorian Wytte, Nico/Dani Wytte, William/Damien Wytte
Comments: 9
Kudos: 60





	1. Realization

**Author's Note:**

> Please enjoy! We really don't have enough works for how many people actually read this lovely comic. This will only be 2 chapters with each one being the length of a regular novel chapter. It might get you in the mood to listen to songs I used for inspiration when writing, like:  
1\. Nothing Was The Same-Hotel Books  
2\. Hold Me While You Wait-Lewis Capaldi  
3\. This is How I Disappear-MCR  
Have fun. 
> 
> 11/19 Edit: HEY GUYS I REMEMBERED HOW TO USE ITALICS SO NOW FLASHBACKS AND INNER THOUGHTS WON"T BE AS CONFUSING. Also, I fixed some grammatical things because (what a shocker) I never read through the entire thing before submitting it. 
> 
> SPOILER ALERT: Aside from grammatical errors, I am a fastpass user and found Dani and Nico have not confessed to one another two months after Dani's Welcome back party. I planned for this to take place the night after which is why I had Nico eating cake. It was supposed to be the leftover cake, but because cake doesn't stay good for two months, I am changing what he was choking on.

Dani Wytte decided she desperately wanted Nico all to herself. Body and soul. Forever. There was no need to fret about it as it certainly wasn’t a spur of the moment decision on her part. Of course not. After all, she spent an entire day considering it. She mauled the concept over and over until her ears were pounding. The three years’ worth of memories encapsulating their time together hit Dani like a freight train once she was conscious enough to realize what Nico has been doing for her. All of the emotions she should have felt at the according times blended together within the span of a few days. With Nico unconscious, the only activity she could do while waiting for him to wake up was ponder all the times he had knelt by her side and looked up at her with loving golden eyes. Wanting her. Adoring her. Worshiping her. 

It became a massive struggle to ignore all the times she knew she had rejected him. Those memories were there too, and although she wasn’t conscious when she spat cold words at him, she knew that it was her mouth the words came from. The words were vile, and Dani was deeply saddened to find that the most repulsive thing to her was to remember how she spoke to Nico during those dark days. No actions as the queen of witches could be more revolting than hurting such a loyal angel. He outweighed all of the evil she had done by a long shot. The only memory that kept her from dying of her morbid self-hatred was the memory of Nico himself. 

Thoughts of his innocent smile and gentle touch kept her grounded as she relieved years of horror and strife. Although Dani had the body of a 16 year old and was absorbing three years of memories, she was still 13 in many parts of her mind. To her, Nico was suddenly a hot older guy with a ponytail and biceps that could kill a man. Even though she knew it wasn’t true, it often felt as though he wore sleeveless shorts with the sole intention of sending her into a suppressed frenzy. His devotion and maturity made him seem strangely distant from her, like he belonged in a fairy tale fantasy or a little girl’s dreams. It’s no wonder why he quickly became her secret obsession.  
The first night after their confrontation proved the most difficult. Dani could feel the dread wash over her as her brother walked toward the door. His head flicked back to her in concern, as if his “twin instincts” had kicked in to her anxious jittering under the blanket. 

“I love you Dani,” he stated firmly. There was an edge of concern and severity in his voice. Her heart softened at the somber tone of his goodnight message. For thirteen years they had slept side by side, and for three years after they were complete strangers. Their age made sleeping in the same room a bit funny, but Dani was in such a vulnerable and weak state of mind her brother wanted to plop her in his lap and rock her to sleep like a baby. 

“I love you Dorian,” she smiled gently. “Goodnight.” His brows furrowed in concern while the corners of his mouth turned downward. 

“If you need me I’ll be right down the hall. Don’t feel ashamed to tell me if you have a bad dream. If you want I can, uh, leave the light on. I-I can read you a bedtime story or something—“ Dani burst out in a fit of laughter while her brother sheepishly took his hand away from the light switch. 

“Dorian! How old do you think I am?” Dani laughed. Dorian placed his hand on his hip while the other gripped his chin in an act of intensive thinking. His face scrunched up in confusion before answering.

“I don’t really know. We’re the same age but you’ve been basically unconscious for three years and you’ve been unnerved since you’ve come back. Heh. Sorry, sorry,” he waved her off while giggling. “I’m being overprotective, I know. This is why Damien was the last to leave yesterday. He’s a lot better at staying composed, not to say he isn’t as worried as I am. In my mind I know you’re okay now, my body just needs to adjust. Honestly I haven’t slept well since you’ve been back,” he weakly admitted. “It feels too good to be true so I’m worried we’ll somehow go back again.” Dani shook her head dismissively before shifting under the covers.

“That won’t happen. I knew you weren’t sleeping but I thought Monica was responsible for that bit.”

“WHAT?!” Dorian snapped. “Ugh, you and Damien have to get your heads out of the gutter! Monica and I aren’t doing those. . .’things’,” he grimaced. Dani smirked and leaned her chin on her hand.

“You always were the most innocent of the three of us. I’m counting Damien because I heard a little something-something through the walls,” Dani snickered. She beckoned for her brother to walk to her bed and he did accordingly, confused. She motioned for him to lean down before whispering in his ear between chuckles. “Oh man Dorian, Damien. . .and William. . .are totally dating!” 

“Oh I know that,” Dorian replied as he backed away. Dani’s expression fell into confusion.

“What?”

“Yeah! We’ve talked about it and we’ve reached an agreement. I can kiss his wife if he can kiss my brother. Everyone’s totally okay with this! Seriously, don’t worry about it. Monica and Will’s marriage was arranged anyway. They don’t like eachother like that. In fact it was Monica who suggested they don’t have a private life together. Damien is just over the moon about it! Seriously, he—“

“Aw come on, everyone knows?” Dani pouted. “I hate being the last to know all the gossip.” She plopped backwards on the bed and sprawled her arms out, discontent with Dorian’s answer. He chuckled as he walked back to the door.

“That’s what you get for being in a mental coma for three years.”

“Wait,” Dani sat up. “How will you and Monica get married?”

“Well,” Dorian heaved, “Monica and William are looking into annulling their marriage. If we can’t then Monica and I will marry in secret and pray our kids look exactly like her and nothing like me,” he chuckled nervously. Dani could quite vividly imagine the mess William and Monica’s kingdoms would be in if Monica’s children resembled the Wytte family in any way. Monica’s gray eyes and pink hair would definitely be less likely to show up than Dorian’s black hair and eyes. God curse Monica’s dumb recessive genes. Even if the war between witches and humans would have completely died down, having a royal baby resemble the most powerful lineage of witches would cause more than a riot or two.

“Black hair and eyes are dominant traits Dorian,” Dani pointed out.

“So? Monica’s mom had black eyes! She can just say the kid got it from her!”

“And what if the kid has black hair, hmm?” Dani smirked. Dorian cleared his throat and turned his back on his sister before she could watch him sink into sheer panic.

“Goodnight, Dani.”

“Goodnight, Dorian.” The door shut quietly as Dorian’s feet quickly moved across the floor. Dani smirked sweetly to herself as she heard her brother’s muffled voice from the hallway ask William if anyone in his family had pitch black hair. The voices faded before Dani could hear Will’s answer. Something deep in her core told her his family was all blondes. The sound of Dorian stomping angrily to his room confirmed it, and there was something quite funny about the pure and studious teen already getting worked up about the issues that would inevitably come with his future children being born into royalty while looking like him. Even as an adult, Dorian had maintained his earnest yet smart personality. It only made it more difficult for Dani to accept three years had passed. Whenever she saw Dorian acting as an adult, however, her mind subconsciously shifted over to Nico. 

Nico. His door remained creaked open just a few rooms from her own. The knowledge of this alone was enough of an invitation for Dani. Knowing his door was enough to magnetize her whole body to the idea of him. Visions of him sleeping alone in his comfort absorbed any irrelevant thoughts she might have possessed. Nothing else mattered in that moment but what she imagined his soft breathing to be like. At first the accuracy of his image in Dani’s mind creeped herself out a bit. Then she remembered how he had stayed by her for three years. Did he sleep by her side? He must have, because the palm of her right hand cooled with the yearning for the warmth of another hand to hold. Something was missing that once belonged.  
Messy and blurry visions of him knelt by her bedside collided until the image of him holding her hand as she slept flooded her mind. Of course—Even when she was apart from Dorian, she never slept alone. Nico would obviously never dare to let her sleep by her lonesome while her mother was sleeping in the same castle. He wouldn’t dare risk leaving her alone with such a wretched woman, so he stayed by her side. Always watching, always protecting. _He must have been uncomfortable sleeping like that_ Dani realized. If she hadn’t slept alone in those years, then Nico hadn’t slept alone either. Was he lonely? Did he feel disquieted at nighttime when she wasn’t there for his hand to hold? The agony of letting him fall asleep by himself was just one more sin to torment her conscience. She sat up with passion for him but stopped to examine her pajamas. _Orange_, she thought. _Why did Monica put me in such an ugly color? It looks terrible on me_? The only person she knew who could pull off such a color was the only person weighing on her mind when she put her feet to the ground. 

“I have to see you,” she whispered in the dark. The room was hollow and answerless to her desperate plea. Nico was the only answer, and she knew he’d only ever be. She shuffled softly to the door and creaked it open slowly. Her feet were stopped mid-walk by the sensation of soft velvet against her ankles. Minino crawled across her feet and purred lovingly against her ankles. She picked up the cat sweetly and gave him a kiss, nuzzling into his fur. The bond of being mutually cursed by the same spirit strangely enough only strengthened the bond with the girl and the black cat. His attachment to her was completely adorable, and the way he revitalized her with newfound energy gave her the courage needed to walk through her door frame. He kneaded at her buttons while she scuffled across the wooden floor. The hallway seemed to elongate the farther she stepped into it. Every step she took outside of Nico’s room heightened her anxiety and increased her palpitations. Dark walls and hallways reminded her of the castle. There were no good memories in that place.  
Upon reaching Nico’s room she set Minino down on the cold floor. She placed her hands on her knees and pushed up shakily. Maybe she wouldn’t be so nervous if Nico has stayed in the attic where the light radiated through the ceiling door. If it was a bit brighter around her, Dani might not have been shaking where she stood. When she put her hand on the knob, it pushed forward before she had the chance to turn her wrist. The creaking noise alone would have been enough to arise Nico from his slumber, but to her surprise he was already sitting up in wait for her arrival.

“Dani?” He questioned shyly.

“Hey,” She swallowed. “Can I stay? It looks like you can’t sleep alone anyway.” He couldn’t argue with that when his eyes were bloodshot and he was sitting upright without any issues. Responding still proved difficult. The words jumbled up in his throat. 

“Oh. I guess.” He moved over right away and tugged the pillow to the center of the bed so they could share it. Minino followed Dani as she walked in, stepping on her feet and causing her to tumble a bit before he leaped onto the bed. Nico remained sitting up. His eyes watched Dani curiously as she took her spot on his left, intrigued as to how she’d sleep. She slept facing the inside of the bed and on her side. Much to Nico’s embarrassment, she slept dangerously close to the center. Dani noticed his reddening face and his refusal to go back to sleep. She’d hate to think she disturbed him. 

“Go to sleep, Nico,” Dani stated. It hadn’t even crossed her mind she had spoken in the format of giving an order. He exhaled a long sigh before lying with his back to Dani.

“Of course, your Majesty.”

“You don’t have to call me that anymore,” Dani told him. Nico gave a long and strenuous pause. His shoulders shrugged and his voice lowered. 

“. . .You’d get mad if I didn’t,” he said softly. There was a hint of fear in his voice and Dani found it heartbreaking she could ever rise such a bitter emotion out of him. 

“You can call me your Dani if you want,” she gushed before smirking to hide the light tint of pink that shielded her cheeks. Nico moved his head back a bit to look over his shoulder. 

“You remember that?”

“Yeah, do. ‘Oh Dani, my Dani’ all emotional and lovingly. I knew you were suffering from a lot of blood loss and were woozy so you probably didn’t mean to say it, but looking back I actually didn’t mind.” Ugh. Nico let out a shaky breath before his throat tightened. Dani is an independent woman and isn’t owned by anyone and all of that, but when he realized what she had done, he felt a little like he had her heart. Nevertheless, he knew she had his.He couldn’t say any of this to Dani, obviously. Nico needed to think of a change of topic. Quickly. He was getting second-hand embarrassment just by hearing about the embarrassment.

“So. . .what are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here?”

“Yeah,” Nico reasoned, “I kinda wanna know, Dani.” His voice lowered to a faint whisper which not even Dani could hear fully. “Now you’re back I wanna know what’s on your mind all the time.” Dani knew for certain Nico was blushing like a madman by the end of his gentle ramble. What am I doing here? Dani thought. She couldn’t blame him for wondering.  
Since the minute Nico woke up he was on Dani’s mind. Even if that was the truth, it’s not like she could just mention such a personal thing offhandedly. The thoughts and phrases that wove together in her mind weren’t just that of gratitude and friendship like Nico expected them to be. Everything since her amnesia was alleviated intensified by a million. Her senses reacted to her surroundings like she’d been standing still in a silent black room for three years. Regaining her memories not only felt like being released from a prison cell, but deep in her heart Dani could say it was like being born again. The vividness of reality struck heaviest on her opinions of Nico. From the first sliver of a memory she knew she had fallen for him completely. Several memories came flooding overtime simultaneously, growing stronger in vividness as they overlapped one another. It went on for days. Each new memory involved him treating her much better than she deserved.  
\--  
The first full memory happened less than a year prior to her awakening. She was greeted by a kind man kneeling before her with a muffin in his left hand. 

_"Here Dani. Try this",_ Nico offered. _"It might trigger some memories"._ Her eyes watered and her lips pursed as she recalled her own reaction. "Dani. . .your majesty? Please. . . I’ve already eaten." The pudding muffin he knew she was once so involved with squished under his pressurized hold. Still, she remained perched on her throne, virtually emotionless. "Just a bite!" He continued. "Mark said you used to enjoy it." Her lips finally moved to voice a response.

_". . .Who? "_ Nico was forced to bring up Her long-time childhood crush and she couldn’t even remember him.

_"You seriously don’t remember? Dani, please, tell me what I can do to help you. I don’t know what else to do. Well, I’ve asked myself if you could hear me for quite some time. Even if I’m by your side—even if I scream—I’m not sure my voice actually reaches you."_ What a pathetic shame his voice only reached her nearly a year after he begged for her. It was a pathetic shame to see, especially from the viewpoint of the one he so desperately pleaded to. _ "I’d like to get you out of this palace, to show you what’s going on outside," _ he continued, _ "You’ve always been a good person. I know deep inside you still are. Seeing what’s happening in the world right now. . .I think it’d help you react." _ His gentle offerings were plentiful but hurt to say. Even while engaged in a flashback Dani could notice his saddened heart break. The silence in the palace brought his emotions to the surface and he took to shouting his pleas to show them. _ "FOR GOD’S SAKE DANI," _ he cried out in a broken voice, _ "AT LEAST SAY SOMETHING!"_

“Stop,” she whispered to the quiet room. Teardrops stained her skin in the attic Nico stayed. The only one awake to hear her was herself. “Stop hurting Nico.”  
The memories didn’t stop. 

_"Tell me what to do and I’ll do it right away!! Just give me a little hint!! Dani, Damn. . .! AAARGH!!!" _ He was cut off by Dani’s abuse of dark magic which sent him tumbling to the ground. The horror of the mental scene caused Dani’s hands to tighten in her hair. The pain of her own nails digging into her skull did nothing to distract her from the sight of Nico falling down.

“Stop it,” she pleaded with her past self. “Don’t touch him, please. Don’t hurt him anymore. Just don’t hurt him anymore.” She somberly pleaded with her past self to no avail. Nothing could be done and the memories continued. They played in her head like a bad horror movie on full volume. She suddenly wished she wasn’t by Nico’s side, waiting for him to wake up. Maybe the memory wouldn’t have been so strong if she had just left the room for a moment. By the time she thought of doing this, however, she was already too incapacitated by her own internalized disgust. Her feet froze against the hard wooden floor and Dani felt she might curse herself again from the guilt alone. Again, the memories continued relentlessly while paying no mind to her objections. 

_"Why were you outside for so long Nico?" _ She asked him. Dani weakly chuckled at her own words. Even as the queen of witches she still wanted him by her side. No amount of hollowness or memory loss could keep the inner Dani from exercising her possessive attitude towards Nico. It was like a reemergence. 

_ "So long?"_ Nico responded, _"I was only gone for a couple of days. . . ." _ The past Dani turned to him. 

_"You think I don’t know why you always come back to be by my side again and again? It’s because you can only be normal by my side. I should make you permanently tiny to test your loyalty.  
What are you saying?"_ Nico protested, _"That’s not true. I told you a long time ago, Dani, I’ll be by your side no matter what! But that doesn’t mean I agree with everything you do. It means that I’ll do whatever I can to make you feel more like your old self."_ Dani rose her arm at him and pointed to the door.

_"Get out of my sight."_ The memory faded out of her vision until Dani was left staring at her shaky hands before the plain floor below her. Alone and in silence, she broke down. The room filled with sobs she desperately attempted to stifle. If Nico were to wake up, she wouldn’t want him to wake up to her mortification at her past treatment of him. The only way to keep her sobs from echoing throughout the attic was to bite her lip and shield her face in her palms. Only then could she cry her eyes out. While remembering her actions she could tell she looked down on Nico like he was a mere pleb. She could feel it in her past self and see it in the way she condescendingly pointed for him to leave. There was no crueler punishment than to retain all the memories of her treating him so shamefully. There was no more evil action a person could take than to hurt the loyal and honorable Nico, and Dani got a first person view of it. Nothing could keep her from falling apart after such a messy scene played through so smoothly. Her fingers wiped away her tears which dropped off her cheeks mercilessly. Nico stayed dormant and void of any response while she did so. Loud sniffles echoed through the room as Dani attempted to gain some form of composure. 

_I love you,_ she silently voiced. _Even if you don’t wake up, I’ll still love you. I’m sorry I didn’t before. I’m sorry it took so long. I’m sorry, Nico. If you only answer one last request of mine, please wake up. I’ll never ask anything of you ever again, _ she said to herself. Then his eyes fluttered open as if to answer her silent calling. Like a miracle he woke up, and her joy brought him within an inch of his face. He panicked after seeing her so close and backed away in terror, subsequently slamming his head against the wall behind him.  
\--  
Dani never knew what it was like before to be suffocated by her own emotions. Strangely enough, it didn’t hurt—as long as she stayed as close to Nico as physically possible. She slept in the attic he stayed at when unconscious because it put her at ease. Even before every memory of him came flooding back, there was a sense of dread at the thought of them separating. After being attached at the hip for three years, the oxytocin involved with being in such close proximity of one another had turned it into somewhat of a survival instinct. Nico understood this, even when she hesitated. All his sorrow linked back to her, but all of his spirits were lifted by her unyielding presence. He smiled to himself and comfortably leaned back to revel in knowing this would probably be the only time Dani would be the big spoon. Dani gave a bashful blush at the sensation of his cuddles. 

“I, uh. . .wanted to know where these pajamas came from.” 

“To answer your question, those pajamas are mine,” he heaved. “Monica found it in the old castle beside your bed. You only wore Monica’s old clothes which became ragged very quickly after they were drained of color. I gave you my pajamas. The second night you stayed in the castle I brought it over to you, but you insisted on wearing the crappy because your mom told you to.”

“I wore Monica’s damaged clothes to bed?” After she thought about it for a moment, she realized it did make a lot of sense. Her mother took over Monica’s castle, and by relation, her things.

“It wasn't just to bed,” he sighed. “Your daily queen attire was originally a pale blue before some witches did some spooky goth clothing magic on the thing.”

“Daily? I wore that thing all the time?” Dani questioned. “It’s the most uncomfortable item of closing I’ve ever worn! Both scandalous and itchy!” She raised her voice in pitch to convey her massive disbelief. Nico plainly shrugged against the pillow to his right and let the blankets scuffle over him. 

“It’s what your mom said you should do. It’s not like she’d ever risk you slipping out of character and regaining your memories. Wearing colors your friends wore might have triggered that. You let me keep my pajamas next to your bed. I let you have it permanently in case you changed your mind about it. You never did.” A tinge of sadness echoed through his last sentence and Dani’s heart sank a bit.

“Well I’m wearing them now,” she chirped. “I’m keeping it if that’s okay with you.”

“Y-yeah. I’m cool with it.” Dani beard him exhale in a mild laugh before continuing. “I thought. . .I thought we’d never reach the point where I’d here you say that. Of course. Dani’s reemergence was just as much of a shock to Nico as it was to her—maybe even more so. While she lay still in a dormant slumber, Nico felt everything. He was the wrongful target of all of the angst and woes Dani would have felt herself if she was awake during those years. No matter what he was feeling on his own, it would always be accompanied by his spiritual bond which had him intertwined with Dani’s emotions which she herself couldn’t even feel. He was genuinely her hero, and something deep in Dani’s chest swelled up and melted her heart. She breathed gently on Nico’s neck before planting a hard, emotion-filled kiss on his nape. He let her have his way with him during her laughably crap attempt at a hickey. 

While she did this, Nico’s breath halted and all movement ceased. Dani felt the push of rejection move an arrow in her heart when she realized he was fighting the urge to squirm away from her. He wasn’t opposed to her, just uncomfortable with the sudden positive contact. The two of them had become close. Really close. They spent every moment together for years straight, and Dani was finally aware of it— but even with all the raw attraction pulling them together, Dani knew Nico wouldn’t be going further anytime soon. They were absolutely nowhere near the point to engage in such. . .’things’ as Dorian so colorfully stated. There were too many things in the way keeping them from enjoying themselves. Angst. Somberness. Heartbreak. Their situation was way too messy for something as naive and carefree as feeling alleviating pain. Deep inside his mind as well as on the surface, Nico admitted it was Dani who was the source of that messiness. Dani knew it too. 

Dani just couldn’t help but wonder if there was a sliver of hatred on Nico’s part for how she had treated him during those years. He said he’d never hold her past actions against her, but that could be a lie. She often searched his eyes for answers and was only ever met back with the love of golden orbs. If he did hate her a bit she couldn’t blame him in the slightest. _I might feel better if he did hate me_, she told herself. _Would he have justice then?_ In the process of providing Nico with justice, Dani was both the prosecutor and the perpetrator. Whenever Nico was reminded of the difference between the real Dani and the Dani he had spent night and day with, he would immediately start to reek of despair. Maybe it was just him being sensitive. Maybe it was some form of post traumatic stress disorder. Dani didn’t know, but she knew she’d gladly drown and suffocate in his sadness as long as it was his.

Would that behavior be toxic? It depends on if its normal to want to stay by the side of someone who you’ve wronged from an emotional damage standpoint. Most people who’ve wronged someone as deeply as Dani wronged Nico don’t regret it. That’s why you never return to an abuser. Ninety-nine percent of them are soulless sociopaths. So, nearly everyone but Dani herself would find it weird how she felt the overwhelming desire to console Nico in response to problems she herself specifically caused. However, Dani was the 1 percent. During an episode of dissociative fugue she was manipulated into being a toxic influence on everyone around her. Once she returned, she returned to a loving girl with memories of hating. She would do whatever she could to outweigh Nico’s negative memories of her with positive ones. Dani Wytte decided she desperately wanted Nico all to herself. Body and soul. Forever. . .and she was going to make him well aware of that fact if it was the last thing she did.


	2. Request

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last one. Thanks for reading! Ugh I love these two so much. There's nothing else to say. I think I want to make a series which will include various short stories which comprise Hooky epilogues.

When Nico’s eyes first fluttered open, he was lying as still as a statue on his bed. He remembered Dani coming into his room before he even moved. When he did decide to move, he chose to fling his arm on the side of the bed he remembered Dani laying on. Nothing was there, and he turned around to see it. He would have thought it all to be a dream if there wasn’t a crease in the bed where Dani had slept behind him. He couldn't even begin to question how much of the previous night was real before his eyes locked on a gray messenger bird which sat perched at the edge of his bed. How long had it been there?

_How long have I been sleeping?_ he asked himself. Then he pried the folded and pressed scroll from the beak of the bird and read it to himself. 

_ Hey Nico, it’s Monica!_  
Dani called a meeting today at 10:00 this morning. She says it’s where we had her welcome back party a while back. Please join us! I think Mark is making muffins!  
From,  
Monica 

Nico squinted at the wooden analog clock at the wall. It was 10:22. _ Oh crap, crap, crap! _ he panicked to himself. Nico didn’t have time to change or tie his hair. He ran, and did so with his feet propelling himself faster each step. Outside, he winced at the indentation of small rocks and pebbles in his feet. There was no time for shoes! There was no time for anything. Dani never initiated any meetings. Knowing she had the day after the surreal events that transpired last night sent Nico’s stomach in a knot. He always did have exceptionally reliable intuition. Something told him Dani’s heart was weighing heavy on something, and the gathering would reveal her true thoughts. 

When Nico arrived in Mark’s yard, he was surprised to find nothing had started, even though he was 24 minutes late. Everyone sat around picnic tables eating bannana pudding muffins and making light small talk. It came as to surprised Dani wasn’t eating any of it. What did surprise Nico a bit was how Dani wasn’t talking at _all_. Even though she arranged the meeting herself, she was completely and utterly silent while everyone talked around her. Her eyes were harsh and wide as if she was heavily concentrating on something. She never appeared so serious before. 

“Um,” Nico began, “I’m here. Sorry I’m late.”

“Hi Nico!” Mark waved happily. Nico walked over to him and sat himself between where Mark stood and Aisha sat. He took up a fork and jabbed it into the still-warm muffin Aisha saved for him. 

“So,” he chewed, “What’s this about?” He asked Aisha while keeping his eyes on Dani. 

“No one knows. She hasn’t talked at all,” Aisha replied. “I mean maybe--”

“Great!” Dani cut her off. It was the first word she spoke since arriving there. Friendly small talk died down into hushed whispers before ceasing entirely. Even if her word was technically a positive one, the hostility and gritted teeth used in saying it had everyone confused and mildly fearful. Dani marched past Dorian and Damien who stood talking and walked directly to William, who looked rather confused. “Now everyone’s here,” she began as she took up a bottle of wine, “we can start.” After raising the bottle she took a long swig of it, then slammed it back on the wooden table. William squeezed his bottle in a bit of fear. Dani wiped her mouth on her sleeve with mild aggression. Monica took notice of this. 

“Dani, are you okay? You look stressed.” Dani didn’t respond, and instead silently brought herself up to the wooden patio which was raised only one step off the floor. Nico’s eyes were more intensely glued to her than everyone, but she paid him no mind. Once all eyes were on her, Dani lifted her head and looked out to the trees beyond. She spoke in unwavering conviction. 

“First, I’d like to stop beating around the bush and formerly address my decision about being queen. I’ve decided when the village is stable I will relinquish my throne to Monica. This way she can get a divorce from William and still reign in a kingdom. I know the witches need representation in the hierarchy, but Dorian would be a king in Monica’s kingdom once they get married, so I’m not needed there.” Everyone was silent. Monica lowered her head in concern. 

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” Dani replied. “Even if we’re sisters in law, I don’t want to be part of the ‘royal’ part of our royal family anyways. Let’s be honest, Monica. My brother and I have always been yin and yang in the magic world. Dorian is the good side of witches, and I’m. . .the ‘other’ one. The witches will gain more rights if he’s the one representing us.” Her words were harsh like thorns but not disagreeable. Dani was right. She had reigned as the ‘evil queen’ for three years straight, and was the only witch to ever hold the throne in Monica’s kingdom. The riots and hate crimes would only increase the longer she stayed in power. With the whole yard in sound unison, Dorian’s attention wandered off to Monica, who sat next to where he stood upright. 

“So,” he mumbled, “Do you know what’s going on?” Monica flashed a nervous smile before replying in an abrupt mashing of words.

“Sure! Of course! I told her to be a bit more upfront with her returning Nico’s feelings because he can’t tell as easily as the rest of us. She’s probably just planning on thanking him for the millionth time, I’m sure if it. I mean, when is she not completely marveling over the man our little boy has become?”

“Yeah I know,” Dorian groaned. “It’s always ‘Oh Nico, you’ve gotten so smart!’ Or, ‘Oh Nico, you’re the most important man in my life, even though I have two brothers and I’m not even dating you. If you and Dorian were hanging off a cliff, I’d save you and let my brother fall because blood isn’t thicker than biceps!’” Dorian mocked. Monica‘s eyes widened at the repressed jealousy. She knew Dani was gradually beginning to favor spending time with Nico over Dorian, but he never mentioned how he felt about it until then. 

“Holy cow. Dorian,” Monica leaned in and lowered her voice even more so. “Dani didn’t really say all that to you, did she?”

“Ok, I admit it, maybe she didn’t.” Dorian protested by putting his hands up in defense which caused Monica to roll her eyes at him in return. “But honestly, Monica, that’s what it feels like! It’s every day. Although in all seriousness,” he leaned in, “look at her hands.” They were shaking and even paler than usual. Both Monica and Dorian could see sweat droplets of dread and anxiety trickle down her wrists. Dorian continued in a whisper only Monica could hear. “This is obviously something else. Something different.” Monica hated to admit Dani was planning something unexpected, but Dorian was right. Dorian knew his sister better than anyone, and Monica trusted Dorian more than anyone. 

“Okay, maybe you’re right,” Monica admitted. Dani continued.

“N-nico,” Dani started. Monica was right, something else was up. Nico snapped to attention even more so than before, and began to sweat bullets. “You’ve been there for me for three years. N-n-night and day, kneeling at my throne and sleeping on the cold hard floor next to my bad--a-and I know I wasn’t good to you. Honestly Nico. . . I sucked. I was abusive and toxic. I know you didn’t like me back then.” Dorian and Monica exchanged disturbed glances as Dani struggled not to berate herself in front of her friends. Nico did nothing but stare in what Dani hoped was awe and not horror, but she couldn’t tell. He was too blurry behind her welling tears. Inside she was more than a tinge grateful she couldn’t fully see him. If she could, she might have stopped speaking and trashed her request altogether. As she inhaled with the purpose of continuing, Dorian and Monica read each other's minds to get up and march over to her. They stood on the ground in front of her. 

“Hey Dani, are you okay--”

“What are you doing?” Monica cut off Dorian while speaking to Dani. Dorian turned to Monica in surprise she had an inkling as to what his sister was doing. “When I said you should say something to Nico I meant something small. You’ve already apologized to him Dani, get off the porch and onto the grass. You’re buzzed and anxious.” She gently reached out for Dani’s hand to console her, but Dani aggressively turned away. Dani didn’t even look at Monica. Instead, she kept her eyes straight ahead to the sky. 

“I don’t like who I was back then e-either, b-but. . .I liked knowing you were by my side. Now I’m back though, and I’m really scared. I’m scared soon you aren't gonna have a reason to stay around me anymore. . .and. . .and over time you’ll go away.” She paused before her next sentence. “Nico. . .I don’t want you to go away.” Her tears overflowed and tore clear streams into her pale cheeks. There was no chance of stopping them, not anymore. Dani let out a wet and ugly sniffle. Damien stood up and tapped Aisha. 

“Do any of you guys have tissues around here?”

“Yeah, they’re on the stand on your left when you go inside.”

“Thanks.”

“She just needs some more beer! It always makes me happy!” William sang. Damien’s neck wiped around so fast it could have snapped off the moment he started staring daggers into his borderline alcoholic boyfriend. 

“Not everyone is a happy drunk. Honestly, Will! Dani has depression. Why do you think she’s the only one we gave apple juice to besides Aisha?” Upon hearing her name Aisha snapped to attention before taking Damien’s drink and smelling it. She then compared it to the lovely fruity stench of her own drink. Drinks were slammed on the table before the brown-eyed princess began seething. 

“You gave me APPLE JUICE? I AM 20, THE SAME AGE AS MARK!” She blew up. As they started to bicker amongst themselves, Mark stood up and sped walked to retrieve the tissues. Damien acknowledged this and let himself go on.

“Yeah but Mark is 6’1. You’re 4’9. The cutoff for being a clinically diagnosed midget is 4’10, Aisha. You can’t hold alcohol and everyone knows it. That’s why you’ve never had it. No one’s ever given you any because--”

“I AM NO MIDGET!” She squeaked.

“Wait, Dani has depression?” Will questioned. He began to sniffle a bit, drawing in Aisha and Damien away from their senseless arguing. “Oh no, that’s so sad. Damien,” he begged, “Damien, Dani can’t be sad! I-I love Dani! I love my future sister-in-law! I want my family to be happy, Damien!” He wailed. Damien winced and rolled his eyes at his . 

“Ugh, God. Just kill me now.” But God didn’t. “Oh please, Will,” Damien sighed. “We’re not even dating--”

_”WHAT?!”_ Will spat. “B-but we’ve kissed more than twice!”

“So? You’ve never told me you liked me!” Damien snapped back. Prince William fidgeted nervously in his chair after it was pointed out just how truly bad he’s been at being true about his feelings.

“Until you get the balls to actually admit it, I’m not dating you,” Damien snarled before crossing his arms. Will paused for a moment in shock before crying louder. Both Aisha and Damien winced at the volume of his overly dramatic crying, but Damien didn’t budge in his ultimatum. The chaos ensued with William crying over Dani’s choice to continue her horrendous excuse of a speech. 

“I’m scared, and, uh. . .I want you here but I know it was bad, so I want it to be better. You know how in marriage vows and stuff they always say better or for worse? We were like that, except you’ve only been there for worse and that isn’t fair to you. That *hic* wouldn’t be fair to anybody! It’s *hic* wrong!” She said between bubbly hiccups and hysterical sobs. Her nose began to run. Monica flashed Damien a look of ‘forget what I said, I don’t know what’s going on either’. Nico still looked as if he had been frozen in time. The large portion of muffin he had stuffed into his mouth remained unchewed and sticking out of his lips. It was like Dani’s mere presence had rendered him unable to use any basic bodily functions, but no one was still able to get a read on any sort of emotional reaction. 

“Jeez,” Damien winced. He marched over to the door frame and looked in the house only to find Mark absent. “WHERE ARE THOSE TISSUES MARK?!”

“We ran out so I’m finding extras!” He hollered from the basement. Great. They must have used the extras yesterday because they were drinking literally the day before. He stormed out of the room, annoyed.

“I’m sorry, Nico. You know, when I was by your bedside, I asked you to wake up for me. I said I wouldn’t ask anything else of you ever again. That was a lie. I’m sorry, Nico.” His eyes widened. He had no idea she worried over him so intensely. He didn’t think she could. “This really is my last request, I swear on it. I know I’ve asked you for more than you could give. I know that, but there’s one more thing I must ask.” Dani sheepishly rubbed her eyes clean until she could see well enough to lock eyes with the bewildered redhead who sat dumbfounded in wait of this request. She thought when she’d meet his eyes she would end up losing her nerve, but it was the opposite. Never in her life had Dani been more relaxed and one with serenity than when she looked into his eyes. Never in her life had Dani been so sure of what she needed to say than when she reminisced about the mere sound of his voice when he said her name. _Oh, Dani, my Dani. _ The sheer unyielding _ love _ in it. She had to say it. 

“As your Queen, this is my last request I’ll make of you. Nico, will you marry me?” There it was. Out in the open. You could hear a pin drop it was so quiet. Then, all heads slowly turned to a bewildered and floored Nico. They expected some sort of response. At least an “I’ll think about it” or even an “Ask me again later” would be better than silence, but he couldn’t move. A whole twelve seconds later he decided to try to speak, but no words came out. The moment he inhaled, he was cut off by the large chunk of muffin still in his mouth. 

“He’s choking!” Monica screamed. Mark turned Nico’s back to him by gripping his shirt. He wrapped his arms around a very terrified Nico’s torso and pressed in his fist. Of course it would be Mark who knew the Heimlich Maneuver. He probably had a lot of customers choking. 

“Ha!” Aisha cheered. “You got ‘em, Mark!” William felt inspired to run over to Aisha and help cheer her on. 

“Yeah! Go, Mark! Go, Mark! Go, Mark!” As the two began to chant, Dorian, Damien, and Monica all exchanged dreadful looks. As everyone was preoccupied with Nico being on death’s door, no one was there to see Dani run away. Well, Nico noticed, but he was a bit. . .preoccupied. On the sixteenth pump, a dense ball of banana muffin batter flew so hard from Nico’s mouth it could have qualified as a military fight jet. William and Aisha high-fived one another and then Mark, while Nico wheezed back to life. Monica walked over to Mark. 

“Nice job muffin boy, you got him breathing again!” Monica patted Mark on the back. 

“Monica, you’ve called me muffin boy many times now. Do you not know my name or something?” She gasped at the accusation. The mere audacity!

“No, MARK! I haven’t forgotten your name is Mark, MARK!” She shouted with an emphasis on two of the three ‘Mark’s. “I am the queen for your village, Mark, and for you to even insinuate that I'd ever forget one of my own villagers, Mark, is insane, Mark!”

“If you keep saying my name so much I’ll just get sick of it and change it.”

“And I’ll remember that one, too!” Monica retaliated.

“Please don’t.”

“Hey,” Dorian interrupted, “Where’s Dani?” Everyone’s eyes jumped to where the tall and dark young lady once shyly stood, only to find she was missing. When Monica turned to see Nico’s reaction, he was already running past the gate. Mark’s cafe was surrounded by forest, and Dani and Nico spent so much time wandering in it together he knew where she’d be. There was a cliff which fell about 8 feet outside the trees. Under the ledge were more and more rocks which led out to a large forest. It was Dani’s favorite place to talk, and Nico remembered that. It was the first place he checked for her, and the last place he checked as well. 

“Dani!” Nico called out. She flinched as the shock of his voice in such close vicinity ran through her shoulders and down to her wrists. Still, she was inaudible, refusing to do anything but sniffle and kick her feet in the air. If her actions worked in the way she hoped they would, maybe Dani’s pitiful leg swinging could convey her disheartened state for her. If she were forced to begin speaking, Dani knew it would end in breaking down and endless rambles.

“C’mon Dani,” Nico pained. “Please.” She shook her head in dismay before letting a loud, wet sob slip. Then, Nico’s whole world seemed to fall, crash and burn. He had made her cry. _I made her cry,_ he told himself. _Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT_. 

“I’m going to sit here,” Nico stated in a weary voice. “Don’t even try to push me away.” How could Dani even try? She was completely drained of all emotional and physical strength she ever had. The only response she could form was a simple shrug. So, Nico walked up to where she sat with her head down. He shook terribly with every step taken. When he took his spot to her right, he realized how uncomfortable and cold the dirt below them was. Dani didn’t even flinch. Nico couldn’t even tell if it bothered her because her hair draped in front of her face, acting as a shield. That was probably a good thing. Never in a million years would he be okay with the intense aura of sorrow and heartbreak Dani was emitting. If Nico caught a glimpse of her reddened and distraught face before talking to her, he might never have the guts to start talking.

“Dani, I was just shocked,” Nico began softly. His voice was a weak whisper, but Dani could hear him clearly. “I’ve been pining after you since I met you, to be honest.” Dani stopped sniffling and represed her sobs to listen. The words flooding out of his mouth absolutely floored her. “You were explicit in your crush on Mark, but for me. . .you never gave me that many signs. I know we talked during the camping trip but I never was able to tell if you actually returned my feelings or if you were just okay with knowing I had them for you.” Silence began to fall like rain, and it extended all across the air and trees around them. 

“Remember months after the king’s party, when we went to Alice’s Academy?”

“Yes?”

“Well, I saw some things in those rooms. The visions got progressively worse, and I eventually saw myself as the queen.” Nico tried to keep his jaw from dropping to the floor. 

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“I had absolutely no idea.” Dani nodded and shifted to face Nico. He saw her eyes for the first time in what felt like a while. They were all red and puffy. 

“There were many things I saw, but the way it started out. . .it started with you thinking badly of me. When I was faced in a room of my worst fears, the first fear which came to mind was you wouldn’t think I was a good person.” Dani stopped hunching over herself and tucked her hair behind her ears to show her face. Droplets stuck to her cheeks and her lips were pressed down in the slightest pout. Nico patiently waited for her to speak again. When she did, her words were shaky and unsettled. “Nico, when I think of my worst nightmares. . .and I close my eyes. . .I think of you not being by my side. Even before I think of being parted from Dorian, Damien, or either of my parents. . .I think of you. All I wanted to do was think of a way to unionize us permanently. If we lived as one unit, I wouldn’t have to worry about being separated.” Her face heated up before she hid it in her hands. “ Oh God, I’m so mortified. Ugh. I know it was a bit extreme, but--”

“No no no no no!” Nico waved his hands in front of him, obviously embarrassed. Onyx orbs focused on Nico as he struggled to get out the rest of his words. Even the way she casually looked at him was utterly mesmerizing. It did weird things to his head and mixed up his words. “I-it’s not that I think of it as being extreme or anything, it’s just. . .” His nervous grin pursed as he turned to look at the great beyond. “. . .we’ve kind of already been doing that. When you look at the way I’ve been treating you for the past four years, it really isn’t all that much of a jump from where we were. I get where you’re coming from.” Dani’s eyes began to sparkle as she fought off the urge to cry of relief. 

“Really?” Oh. Then she was close to him. Nico moved his face away from hers in an effort to keep his nerves under control, and waved his hand to brush off her worries. 

“Well, duh! It’s sort of like we skipped the dating stage, or we at least we're close enough for our friendship to substitute for dating. What you asked me wasn’t weird, Dani. You don’t need to worry about that.” Dani’s eyes furrowed in confusion. 

“So are you saying. . .yes?” Nico mentally slapped himself. 

“Arg! Yes! I forgot to say yes! Sorry about that! I was just so shocked and then I choked on a muffin and then here I’ve found you!” After Nico was done rambling on, Dani closed her eyes and stood up. Nico watched her brush the dirt off her lap before she smiled down at him genuinely and wholeheartedly. 

“Well then, if you’ve given me your answer I guess we should go back now and tell the others, right?”  
“Uh, y-yeah,” Nico blushed. He stood up himself before following her out along the dirt path. The walk was silent, but even the silence was strangely intimate. It gave him time to replay their last conversation over and over in his mind until it was permanently burned into the back of his brain. There would be no more hiding from Dani in order to gush about her in front of others. There would be no more lying about his feelings in fear of rejection. No more would Nico wonder what could be. He knew. Their walk was short lived, and Dani was creaking the gate open before Nico could say anything to Dani to express how absolutely lovestruck he was. 

“They’re back!” William cheered. Dani kept her eyes on the ground. She was unreadable to everyone else, as her head was kept close to the ground. William was about to cheer before Damien placed his ice grip on William’s shoulder. Once again, everyone hushed in wait for Nico’s response, continuing the silence from earlier. This time, Nico could breathe, as well as shoot Dani a toothy grin and literally jump for joy. 

“I SAID YES! I WIN! F*CK YOU, MARK!” Nico shouted while pointing a finger at Mark. 

“What? I didn’t even do anything,” Mark protested. “I’ve literally just been here.”

“What I’m saying is,” Nico admitted cheekily, “Sorry Mark. It’s been a lovely five years but I believe you’ve lost. I’ve won Dani’s affections. Still, since you are my best friend, I will graciously allow you to be the best man at my wedding.” There was a strenuous pause which was so long Nico began to worry he had gone too far. It stopped after Mark registered Nico’s words and his face contorted in confusion. 

“What? Her affections? I was never after that. Nico, I never liked Dani.” Nico’s eyes narrowed. 

“. . .Excuse me?”

“Well sure,” Mark sheepishly admitted as he itched the back of his head, “I do think she’s cute. However, it’s less as in girl cute and more as in baby or puppy cute. I never had a crush on her, if that’s what you were implying.” The pause that followed was shorter, as Nico’s frustration quickly overflowed. 

“You never liked her?! Really, Mark! I waited to tell Dani how I felt under the pretense you were also going after her!”

“You could have just asked me how I felt! Why didn’t you ask me?” Mark shot back. Nico felt himself become smaller and he instinctively held Dani closer to calm himself.

“If you were to say you liked her, I would definitely clear the path for you,” Nico said shyly. “I didn’t want to risk you answering that.”

“Well either way,” Dani interrupted, “I think I would have chosen you in the end, Nico.” Nico’s attention switched back to the girl in his arms who began to stand up on her own. She took his hands in hers and her eyes sparkled earnestly. “Even if I dated someone else, I’m pretty sure would have always come back to you every time. My feelings for you are different than any infatuation I’ve had. They’re a lot stronger, so I’ll know they’ll stay!” She smiled. There were stars in Nico’s eyes as they began to water. Dorian and Damien’s faces grimaced in mutual disgust at the gushy hearts in their eyes. 

“Oh, Dani!” Nico cried before wrapping his arms around her. She giggled while merciless to the barrage of kisses Nico brought on her cheek. “You’re soooo cute!” His arms remained locked around hers until Dorian pried them off of her. 

“So what’s your plan?” Dorian asked.

“Huh?”

“Where will you two go? Where will you guys be living?” Nico and Dani looked at each other wholeheartedly before Nico answered. 

“Dani’s plan remains the same. We talked about it on the way here, and we agree in light of the riots between the witches and non-magical humans, Dani would be safest if we lived on the outside of the village. We’ll still live nearby, but it’ll be in a very rural area. We will both be working to support each other until we start a family. Dani will end up working a simple job which won’t expose her identity as a witch while she studies and anonymously writes curse-related spells so she can still teach magic and contribute to the society she once led. This way, she can still be connected to the magic world. I’ll continue to look for safe and ethical clairvoyance jobs. We’ll have each other, so we won’t get lonely,” he grinned at Dani. She put her hand in his as he held it out for her. “We’ll move after her appearance at the ceremony.”

“I hesitated when Monica asked me if I still wanted to reign as Queen because I knew my future wouldn’t be in a palace,” Dani added on. “Whenever I saw my future, it included Nico and I living peacefully and without fear of public scrutiny. I’ll tell my witches what I plan to do, but I won’t disclose exactly where we’re living. It would be too dangerous to let that information leak out.”

“We’ll miss you guys,” Dorian replied. All heads turned to him, but his eyes were locked with Dani’s. “We’ll miss you two a lot, but please don’t worry about us. Go on and start your new life together. It’ll be another adventure!” Tears welled up in his eyes and Dani instinctually copied him. “Just promise to visit, okay, Dani? I get so lost without you.” Dani immediately broke away from Nico and ran to Dorian. By the time she was a foot away from him, he was already full-on crying. When she pulled him into a hug, his arms wrapped around her shoulders to hold her in place. Everyone stopped what they were doing and walked closer to the twins who cried out their pre-goodbye. Dani still had time with them, but now both Dani and Dorian knew there was a limit to it. 

“Dorian, you’re my best friend! Of _course_ I’ll visit! We’ll be living apart for the first time, but this doesn’t mean we’ll never see one another,” she reassured him. He sobbed harder into her. Dorian knew Dani had every right to get married and have a family of her own. On the other side of things, Dorian just got his best friend back after she’d fallen away for three years. Everyone expected Dani’s return to last a lot longer than it looked like it would, and it broke Dorian’s heart to know she was slipping away again. Still, there was no denying Nico was the best for Dani. He knew this. There was nothing else in his heart he wanted more than for the rest of Dani’s life to be full of joy. His tears were simply bittersweet. When he was interrupted, it was by a strong hand leaving a reassuring pat on his back. 

“I won’t be stealing her away from you and Damien forever,” Nico assured him. “You guys are family. If Dani is going to become my family, then you guys will become my family as well. I can’t even begin to decipher my feelings regarding Pendagram. Besides him, you guys will be my only official family. Believe me, you guys won’t be able to get rid of Dani and I even if you try!” He laughed. 

“He’s right,” Monica chimed in. “Because of Dani’s status as a former queen, I’m required to keep tabs on her. The curse was broken, Dorian. She’s with us for good now. You don’t need to worry.” The group smiled as they surrounded the newly engaged couple. All surrounded them but Mark, who smiled with pride next to a confused Aisha who crossed her arms. 

“Imagine actually getting psyched to be dicked down by a freaking redhead,” Aisha grimaced. “I know I couldn’t.”

“Good.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” There was a comfortable silence before Aisha decided to end it. 

“So. . .you really never liked Dani, huh?” She averted her gaze in an attempt to hide her contentedness at the new revelation. 

“No,” Mark laughed. “She’s adorable, but honestly? Not my type. I think I’d want my partner to wear the pants in our relationship, you know? Small and feisty, like a tough midget.” 

“Well,” Aisha blushed madly, “Thank goodness! I thought you were talking about me for a moment, but I’m totally not a midget.” In response, Mark stared at Aisha long enough to catch her eye and gave her the side smile which always sent her over the moon. She left grumbling while making it a point to hide how her face was completely beet red, and Mark laughed to himself. There would only be good times from there, and Mark felt it in his bones like a divine premonition. 

And so, Nico and Dani set out to do just that. A few weeks later they secretly married in a chapel outside of town. Only their family and closest friends were invited, but it was still one heck of a party. Less than two months after this, Dani handed her crown over to Monica and stepped down from power in a ceremony where she told her people she would be moving to the countryside with her husband and beginning a new life. In the smaller sector of the village, Dani worked at the library and began to create works teaching students of magic how to make both effective and _safe_curses. Nico got a fortune telling permit, but it soon became a side job after the Evans Cafe became a chain restaurant and Nico was made the manager of the one two minutes outside his and Dani’s shared cottage.

And so, what happened after?

Two years later, Nico and Dani had their son, Phineas. Nico was overjoyed to find the boy was identical to Dani, because, in how own words, “There can never be enough Danis in the world! There is nothing I want more than to be surrounded by a bunch of cute little Danis!”. They couldn’t risk having more than one child on the off-chance the child would be a clairvoyant. That would make the child the very first clairvoyant witch from the Wytte lineage. Once it became apparent the young wizard took more after his father in his ability to only excel a rare and debatable dangerous type of magic, it became clear to those who knew this secret. Dani and Nico made the right call. 

Damien and William were able to obtain spellbooks which guided them in combining their DNA into creating a child of their own. A year after the birth of Phineas, they created their own daughter. She was named Elliana, and possessed Damien’s serious attitude, short stature, sharp hair ends and prominent dark circles. The rest of her coloring was attributed to William, which made it easy for her to pose as the daughter of Monica and William. Although her similarities to Damien were suspicious to the public, their identical mannerisms were chalked up to Elliana inevitably always being inclose proximity with her father’s advisor. When Elliana was one, a major controversy erupted. William went under scrutiny by the public for letting his ‘personal advisor’ become so bonded to a child which wasn’t his. Damien was under fire for trying to steal the role of Elliana's father from WIlliam, while William himself was called out for letting it happen. Upon realizing the bizarreness their closeness alluded to in the eyes of the public, Damien reluctantly agreed to only see his daughter in secret. 

Three years after the birth of Elliana, Monica and Dorian started a family of their own, which began with the birth of twin sisters Angela and Mallory. When the girls were born they did resemble their mother for the most part. They kept their mother’s sweet gray cat eyes and their cheeks were painted with her signature freckles. Alas, Monica was born genetically inferior to the guy that knocked her up, and her children were subsequently cursed with their dad’s black hair. It wasn’t a soft black but the deep onyx that only a Wytte ever possessed. Considering the only other living possible candidates for Monica’s love interest were a woman and a flaming homosexual, the public had a good idea as to who the father was. That all went without even mentioning the girls were identical twins like their father, Dorian himself. 

William and Monica were essentially forced to come out to the public as having annulled the marriage in secret and Monica having remarried Dorian. This had to be done in order to protect Dorian from a barrage of pitchforks that would have been at his door, and to keep Monica from looking like a cheating whore. William and Monica remained wed in the eyes of the state to keep their kingdoms together, while everyone was aware of Monica’s true husband in the eyes of God. Once this was accepted, William quickly and dramatically came out as bisexual and proclaimed his undying love for his butler and childhood friend, the wise and collected Damien Wytte. Damien came out as being the biological father of ___, which shut up any village resentment toward him seeing his actual daughter. The only real objection was from the village women, who had taken a liking to Damien’s “cute bad boy” aesthetic. While that objection encompassed a large portion of the teenage girl population of the village, William could handle it. 

Aisha stayed with Mark and his father. No one was surprised at Aisha’s insistence on an annoyingly slow-moving relationship. Mark was very patient, and years later, they held a quiet ceremony in Aisha’s kingdom. As Mark was by marriage a prince in Aisha’s kingdom, it gave his father a huge economic advantage which propelled their struggling chain restaurant. Soon _Evan’s Cafe_ became a household name, and there was one in every kingdom. Banana pudding muffins soon became a staple in every meal, much to Dani’s quiet dismay. Mark and Aisha never intentionally tried to have a family of their own, but they weren’t actively avoiding starting one, either. No doctor was surprised to find Aisha’s short stature was due to a hormonal issue which in turn affected her fertility. Being somewhat neutral on the concept of children, everyone in the kingdom was shocked at Aisha’s insistence on adopting a poor village boy she caught stealing from the original _Evan’s Cafe_. That is because in order to protect the boy, her and Mark agreed to keep their intentions behind adoption a secret. 

The boy was Amir’s illegitimate son and by effect Aisha’s biological nephew. Nine months after a night with a prostitute, a baby was left at Amir’s door with a note from a woman saying she couldn’t afford the child. He was Elliana’s age. The boy’s skin was very dark--darker than any of Amir’s wives, yet he still resembled his father in some ways. In the end, Amir neglected his son out of an inner fear of a public scandal, which would hand the role of head monarch to his sister. Practically orphaned and desperate for a family, Nuriel agreed to Aisha and Mark’s request to adopt him before either one of them could finish. He had many friends in both kingdoms. No one but Aisha and Mark’s family and close friends ever found out he was related to either Aisha or Amir. Nuriel liked it that way. Mark was a good father, and Aisha was an. . .interesting mother. Nuriel never fit in with royalty anyhow. 

The end of the war between witches and humans was not mutually agreed on by everyone in every kingdom. Even Monica and William admitted the end of the war was rather abrupt and only decided by a small portion of the village. Anti-witch and radical pro-witch groups began to pop up like magic(pun intended). Pendragon was heavily involved in one of the stronger anti-witch cults, and it goes without saying that Nico immediately cut off all contact with him after finding out. He didn’t need to hear his father’s reasons. Hilde avoided capture at all costs and is the leader of a radical pro-witch group. Nobody knows if she’s been sneaking in contact with Angela--not even Damien. So yes, life goes on. That goes without saying, but it is also often forgotten.


End file.
